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Google will stop some Flash content from automatically playing starting Sept. 1, a move it decided on earlier this year to improve browser performance.

Flash, made by Adobe Systems, is still widely used for multimedia content, but security and performance issues have prompted calls to move away from it.

In June, Google said it planned to pause Flash content that wasn’t central to a Web page but allow other content such as videos to autoplay. Flash, it said, can drain a user’s laptop battery faster.

There are also security implications that Google didn’t mention. Vulnerabilities in Flash are one of the most common ways that malware ends up on computers.

While Adobe in recent years has taken steps to improve Flash's security with speedier updates and code reviews, it still is a widely used attack vector.

The change will take effect from Sept. 1 for its Chrome browsers, Google said. Users will have the option to play the content, but they will need to adjust the browser’s settings to automatically play content requiring a Flash plugin.

Screenshot/Google
Google will pause some Flash content from autoplaying on Sept. 1, but users can elect to run it by changing a setting in the Chrome browser.

Google already converts Flash-based advertising content to HTML5, which allows certain types of videos to be played natively in Web browsers without additional software plugins.

The company encouraged those uploading ads to its Display Network to ensure that their ads can be converted to HTML5.

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​Inside the new HP Customer Welcome Centre in Sydney…

HP unveiled its new Customer Welcome Centre (CWC) in Sydney this week, following on more than a year after the vendor opened the doors of its Experience Centre in Melbourne (MEC). The new space offers on-site HP technicians and visiting channel partners the ability to reconfigure equipment and put together tailored solutions based on the needs of individual end clients or target vertical markets. The centre can also be booked by customers and partners for meetings, events, workshops, seminars, and training. Photos by HP.

Zscaler Australia toasts the channel at Xmas drinks

Zscaler recently hosted its partner update and Christmas drinks event in Australia where more than 20 partners attended the event at the QT hotel in the Sydney. The event provided a forum for the company to update its Australian partners on the company's strategy for cloud security in the year ahead. It was also a great opportunity for the company to introduce Sean Kopelke as country manager for A/NZ. The event ended with Christmas drinks and a celebration of momentum gained in 2016.

IN PICTURES: ​Nutanix X Tours

Nutanix recently held two ‘X Tours’, which brought the company’s flagship event .NEXT to Brisbane and Melbourne. Customers and partners got a firsthand look at the new era of IT and exposure to the potential of the Nutanix Enterprise Cloud platform. Both events featured key speakers both from Nutanix and its partners.

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